David locked eyes with his cousin Mark in the large white hall.
He stepped in front of Sarah to block her from Mark's path.
David: You know exactly what happened to that broken top railing, Mark.
Mark: I was just looking through the back office files downstairs, David.
David: You were upstairs near the balcony rail just two minutes ago!
Mark took a small step backward toward the open dining room door.
His face flushed bright red under the warm overhead foyer lights.
Mark: I came here to talk about our family business bankruptcy filing.
David: My father never went bankrupt and you know that simple fact!
Sarah stood up slowly with her hands resting on the strong wall.
Sarah: Show him the official paper you were holding upstairs earlier, Mark.
Mark tightened his fingers around the leather binder in his right hand.
Mark: You two are losing your minds after a scary little fall.
David: Drop that binder on the table right now or I will make you.
David took two large steps forward with his strong arms ready.
Mark opened his mouth to shout an angry insult back at David.
A sudden loud siren blared outside the heavy front glass doors.
Red and blue police lights flashed wildly across the white interior walls.
Mark looked back toward the high balcony in pure visible desperation.
He realized that his carefully planned window of escape was totally gone.
David: The police are standing right outside our main front driveway now.
Mark: You do not understand how much money I owe these creditors!
David: That does not give you the right to put Sarah in danger!
Mark dropped the leather folder onto the nearby wooden entry hall console.
The thick folder popped open and revealed several fake bank transfer notes.
David picked up the loose sheets and scanned the forged signature lines.
Mark had tried to transfer the total house mortgage into his account.
David: You forged my father's signature on these legal bank forms.
Mark: I was going to pay every single dollar back next month!
The heavy front door knocked loudly from the bright sunlit porch outside.
David stepped over and pulled the grand door wide open immediately.